Odd?

Money IS coming from somewhere.

Went for a walk today in a rural area very quickly becoming suburban.

How do I know that about the money? Because we're walking on this five mile long highway that wasn't even public knowledge 6 months ago.

They've already cut through a deep thoroughfare hidden by massive berms. It is already half paved. But because of those berms, it is not likely you'll ever know it's there until you use it, or fly over it.

Now here is the topper. They say they'll have it done by the end of the year.

No, wait a minute, here's the topper! It is being built a mile away from a new highway that will run parallel to it. That road has been on the books for at least a decade, but it won't be fininished until 2012.

You'd think that would be about all the ODD a person could take in a day. But we are walking along this construction site and up pops a coyote. It skitters by us, crawls under a fence and disappears to where ever coyotes disappear to. I guess not THAT odd. But right after that?

Three cowboys ride up with their trusty cattle herding dog (either a Border Collie or Australian Shepherd.) Really nice looking quarter horses. So we exchange howdies, and they ride off down some creek bed to tend to some steers. But just as they part, that little cattle dog leaves the cow poke party and starts hiding behind us. Odd!

This soft spoken giant in beige boots (no spurs) comes riding up to me, jumps off Trigger, and says, "Here, hold muh horse," and hands me the reins.

"Yes, sir! Isn't he supposed to hang out with you and help round up the herd? "

"Well, first of all, he's a she. Named Dally (pronounced dolly.) Problem is she's afraid of horses."

He picks Dally up in his arms, remounts with my help, thanks me, and as he's is riding back into the creek bed, he says, " if I hadn't picked her up just now, she probably would have followed you all the way home."

So we mosied on our way surveying this new highway project. We walked about an hour in three or four different directions, and then on our way back to the car? Yup! Here comes Dally. With the cowpokes? Nope! Her herding instincts she applied to us. Licked us a lot when we behaved like we were supposed to. Nipped at us if we moved in any wrong direction.

Peggy was adamant.

"We are not going to leave her until we get her back to her owners."

Well turns out there were a bunch of phone numbers on Dally's collar. Cell phone to the rescue you'd think. But out of all those phone numbers we got through to just one female voice mail.

Well just as we were about to set up camp for the night, we see our wranglers up on a hill and wave wildly to them. They finally catch sight of us and with Peggy hanging on to Dally with all her might, the dog is reluctantly reunited with her family.

"Kind of odd for a Border Collie, or Australian Shepherd to be afraid of horses isn't it," I ask.

"That's not nearly half the problem. She's also afraid of cows."

I've got to tell you. In my mind, THAT'S ODD!

They rode off, and we drove off, and fortunately none of us into the sunset.

BUT IN THIS ECONOMY I STILL WANT TO KNOW WHERE THE MONEY IS COMING FROM TO BUILD THIS ROAD? AND WHO IS GOING TO TAKE CARE OF THE COYOTE?